Supermarket Madness
by Sad-Blue-Eyed-Angel 2010
Summary: Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for what you have, the family that surrounds you, the small things that bring you joy but most of all surviving one holiday to the next. But when a pre-planned Thanksgiving shopping trip becomes a disaster what will happen to the Lucy and Alan? Read Supermarket Madness to find out - flames not accepted - reviews appreciated.


_**AN: Hope all my readers have a Happy Thanksgiving and a SAFE holiday in spite of what's going on in present time.**_

* * *

Lucy hummed to herself as she glided through the aisles at the supermarket. She glanced quickly at her shopping list and ticked off another item she'd retrieved from her shopping list. She only had a few more items she needed from this store before she had to go to another store to pick up the remaining items to complete her family's Thanksgiving meal. Looking down, she smiled to herself as she saw her tiny helper clutching the fabric of her skirt in his fist. Alan was being such a big helper. He was grabbing all the items she needed when she asked him to grab them. The tow headed toddler was chewing on a couple fingers, content to look around at the madness going on around him.

His blue eyes glowed with mystified wonder at the many shopping carts zooming past him and his mommy. Wheels squealed, shopping carts rattled, tin cans banged and clanged as they were dropped into the basket and murmurs rose from the throngs of people trying to gather their dinner supplies before the holiday festivities in two days' time.

"M'mmy?" A little voice asked.

"Yes baby?" Lucy asked as she looked down at the tiny tot by her legs. Alan was looking off at the toy section of the store, longing hanging heavy on his face.

"Toy." Alan removed his fingers from his mouth to point a shiny and slobber covered hand at the toy section on the other side of the wide aisle. He looked up with a puppy like stare at his mom – asking silently if he could go play.

"No baby. We've got to finish shopping so we can go get your brothers from school. They'll be getting out soon." Lucy said as she shook her head no. Alan looked back over at the toys with longing but followed with a pout. He was old enough to know what no meant and he rarely threw fits over not getting something he wanted. He really only did that if he didn't get a nap – but he'd gotten a nap while Lucy was talking to her sister on the phone about what time guests should be arriving for dinner at the Tracy house.

Lucy led the way, going to the canned goods aisle to pick up the cream of mushroom soup and green beans for the green bean casserole she planned to make. She glanced down every so often to make sure she wasn't imagining the occasional tug of Alan's tiny fist on her skirt. Smiling secretly to herself, Lucy imagined how she'd tell Jeff that Alan was a very good boy when it came to grocery shopping. Alan was always on his best behavior with Lucy but usually threw a fit with Jeff if the father had to go into town and took the toddler along. But Jeff had a tendency to go shopping when Alan was in need of a nap or if it was close to bedtime.

~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~

Lucy's wanderings eventually took her and Alan into the crowded juice aisle where there was a backflow of patrons trying to grab the juice, or sparkling ciders they desired before they were all bought out by other customers. There had to be at least 10-15 carts in the aisle and Lucy grimaced before joining the droves of customers. She had to grab some sparkling cider for the kids to drink while the adults were having wine with dinner. Stopping her cart a short distance from the frenzy, Lucy waited until there was an opening before she snagged two of the last bottles of the sparkling cider she wanted.

Alan was with Lucy, that is until he let go of her skirt and crawled into the under carriage of the closest shopping cart. Lucy didn't even notice that Alan had let go of her skirt, there was so much activity the mother of five just wanted to get out of the frenzy and back up to the front to finalize her purchase. Lucy put her cider in her basket and turned around to leave the aisle. Just after escaping the insanity of the juice aisle, Lucy glanced down to smile at her baby…only to do a double take when she noticed her baby wasn't there.

"Oh my God! Alan?!" Lucy asked as she turned in a close circle, hoping to see her toddler had stopped to look at the festive decorations near to the floor. When she didn't see him, she dropped into a crouch to see if Alan had crawled beneath her basket. The blood drained from Lucy's face when Alan wasn't beneath her cart's carriage either. Standing swiftly, Lucy called aloud. "Alan?! Alan where are you?"

As if expecting an answer from her toddler, Lucy grew quiet. When she failed to hear a reply, Lucy retraced her steps back to the juice aisle where she last saw Alan.

"Alan!?" Lucy asked loudly once she entered the aisle. A few people looked up before resuming their activities.

A quick scan in the aisle and beneath patrons shopping carts that Alan was not in the area. As a scared mother, Lucy hurried back to her cart to make sure she hadn't missed Alan. When she still failed to locate the missing two year old, Lucy decided she needed help searching for her son. She found the closest employee and told them she lost her son. They employee called management who got all available associates on the alert.

' _Attention all associates, we have a Code Adam, associates Code Adam. Child is a two year old boy, wearing a blue Paw Patrol t-shirt and blue jeans. He's got blond hair and blue eyes. I repeat, Code Adam in progress. Thank you!'_

Lucy had tears in her eyes as she walked with a member of management. She and the manager looked in aisles and under display cases in hopes of finding Alan safe and unharmed. When that failed, the manager redirected their efforts nearer to the doors. They had to be on the lookout for any people leaving the store in case Alan was abducted and not just wandered off. Thankfully there was only a single exit, rather than some stores that had two exits in their facility.

Meanwhile Alan wandered around in search of his mommy. Tears coursed down Alan's cheeks and the boy's nose ran profusely. Choked sobs and whimpers escaped the boy.

"Mommy? Mommy?" Alan whimpered as his lower lip trembled. He wiped his nose on the neck of his shirt before giving a cough. He crawled out of the under carriage of the basket he'd crawled into earlier to look at the toys and when he turned around he realized that his mommy was gone.

Wandering further, Alan soon wandered up to the registers. How he managed to evade the many employees that stopped work to search for him nobody would ever truly know, but he wandered up behind a lady and gave a tug on her pant leg. The teenage cashier looked down only to see the saddest face ever to be seen on a toddler. Instantly realizing this must be the missing child, the girl knelt down to the child's level.

"Hi sweetie, what's wrong?"

"Mommy…" Alan gave a sob before dropping his chin to his chest as his cries grew harsher.

"Can't find your mommy?"

Alan knew what she meant, if mommy was involved then he wanted her. He nodded before he looked back up at the girl. The teenage girl opened her arms and Alan who desired comfort, walked into those arms and hugged the girl around her neck. The girl stood while she held Alan and she shut off her light so people would know she was closed. Turning briskly, the girl went to the service counter so that they could put out the alert that the child was found.

Alan cried mournfully into the girl's neck. He was scared and he wanted his mommy. Resting his head on her shoulder, the boy looked out at the people, hoping to see his mommy somewhere.

"Hey, our Code Adam showed up." The girl said as she walked in to Customer Service and up to the Service counter.

"Nicky, where was he?" One of the women at the service counter asked as she took a look at the boy in Nicky's arms.

"I don't know, he found his way to my register. He fits the description of our Code Adam that went out five minutes ago." Nicky said as she rubbed Alan's back comfortingly.

"Alright, you can leave him with me and go back to your register Nicky. Thank you for bringing him up here."

"No problem Maggie, just doing my job." Nicky said as she tried to remove Alan's arms from her neck. When Alan tightened his grip, Nicky sighed. "I guess I'm staying here until his mommy gets here. He's not letting go for all the candy in the world."

"Alright, why don't you take him behind the counter while I contact management?" Maggie said as she picked up her walkie talkie. "Management, Code Adam has been found – he's been brought to the service desk."

~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~

Lucy who was with Thomas by the front door heard his walkie talkie come to life and her heart skipped a beat as the message was heard loud and clear.

' _Management, Code Adam has been found – he's been brought to the service desk.'_

Lucy gave a sob as her hand flew to her chest. Alan had been found. Thomas escorted Lucy to the service counter where the mother of five was reunited with her youngest. Lucy cried as she cradled her baby and Alan sobbed loudly in her arms as she rocked him. They'd both been scared and rightly so. During such a busy time, it was easy to lose track of your children and it was even more dangerous because of the crowds. Lucy didn't want to think of how easy it'd have been for someone to take off with Alan had she not noticed him missing moments after he disappeared.

"Alan, oh Alan…" Lucy kissed his tearstained cheeks several times over as she checked him over for injury. When she found there were none, Lucy thanked the staff who helped her locate her child and she smiled thankfully as she heard the announcement go over the intercom.

' _Attention associate, Code Adam cancelled, I repeat Code Adam cancelled.'_

And God, was that a beautiful page to be heard over the intercom?

Once the thanks were said and groceries paid for, Lucy walked with Alan in her arms to her car to unload the groceries. She unloaded her purchases singlehandedly as she refused to release Alan from her arms. Alan snuggled into his mommy's arms as he too refused to separate from his mommy.

Once Lucy finished unloading her groceries into the trunk, Lucy put Alan in his car seat and got him strapped in to go. It was past time to pick up her older boys from school and Lucy knew she'd have to explain to the principal why her boys stayed thirty five minutes after school let out. She'd gain a disapproving glare from Scott for allowing Alan to be lost, John would sigh and shake his head, Virgil would hug his baby brother tenderly and Gordon would do what he could to make Alan quit crying and smile after his terrifying ordeal. Then they'd go home and unload groceries, try to forget this all happened.

Lucy knew though exactly what she'd be thankful for this Thanksgiving. She'd be thankful for her husband, the love of her life and knight in shining armor. He provided money to pay the bills and put food on the table, provided stability, safety and comfort and most of all his love for Lucy and their boys. She was thankful for her five boys, their individuality and having them in general. She was thankful to be their mother, thankful for the good and the bad which made her cherish all the good in her life. She was thankful for her in laws and the help they provided, thankful for her parents and siblings…but most of all she was thankful to be able to experience it all.

She was thankful for the quick and immediate response of the staff at the store gathering everyone to help search for Alan and she was thankful for Nicky, Maggie and Thomas in particular. They kept their heads while Lucy was losing hers and they remained calm in the search for Alan.

Yes, she had a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, but no more thankful than a mother who loved her husband and children more than life itself, a mother who would die for her family, if it meant protecting them.

* * *

 **Code Adam - Created in memory of 6-year old Adam Walsh who was abducted from a department store in July 1981 - Code Adam is a tool for lost and potentially abducted children. Stores often utilize a Code Adam when a child has been reported as missing by a parent while on the premises. A page often goes over the intercom to inform all available associates there is a missing child who has wandered off or may have been abducted - a physical description is provided so that all associates can be on the lookout for said child. Once child has been located - if unharmed and appears to have wandered away child can be reunited with family - in event of potential abduction law enforcement is contacted.**

 __(National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 2015)

* * *

AN: As an employee of a department store/supermarket - around the holiday seasons it is most dangerous and distressing for families with small children. With so many people in and out of the store, it can be hard to keep track of your party. I've had lost children approach me, complete devastation written on their faces when they've been separated from their mom or dad. Code Adam is a common page when so many people line the aisles and families are separated accidentally. Please to all you parents or guardians of children that may be reading this - please keep a close eye on your children. The holiday season is but a few days away and we need to have fun and be thankful for what matters most to us, whether that is your job, spouses, siblings, children, pets or friends - keep in mind what you should be most thankful for and hold them tight. Have a happy and safe holiday and be merry.

Sad-Blue-Eyed-Angel 2010


End file.
